Dreaming of a White Summer

Summer, that yearly renaissance of travel, has arrived once again! The beautiful weather calls for travelers to venture out and explore both the nearby attractions and far away locales. National parks, hiking and biking trails, beaches and scenic drives will wow and inspire travelers without breaking the bank. The much needed respite season is coming on full force this year, so travelers and innkeepers alike are getting ready for summertime adventures!

A great idea for sprucing up the house this summer is an underestimated design element – white! This clean, sleek and versatile color is the perfect way to redecorate this season, and I especially love white in bathrooms. White tile, tubs, fixtures and walls are all great ways to start with a blank, bare canvas, and the slightest touch here and there of color or texture adds so much to a white room. From experience, I know that using a variety of whites and layering will create a calming and restful space, while using different finishes of the same shade of white will energize a room, as stated in my article, Bright Ideas to Maximize Light. I love Linen by Benjamin Moore, which is a versatile paint that can incorporate other colors into the room, and Dutchlac Brilliant from Fine Paints of Europe, which dries to create a beautiful lacquer finish, perfect for kitchens and bathrooms.

This pure color is a great idea for lightening up your home. White has two contradictory characteristics. On one hand it is a traditional color that has always been used. On the other hand its use is seen in all of today’s magazines, showrooms and decorating exhibitions, proving that white is back on top in color related trends. One of the most appreciated features of white is its versatility. This is a tone that can be combined with any type of decoration. The defenders of this color wildcard define it as an escape route for the imagination when it comes time to decorate your home because it leaves open the possibility of creating very different spaces in your home without being afraid that the walls will not match everything else. There are many reasons to make white your best friend. Its intrinsic brightness is the most effective weapon against shadowy spaces. When you bet on white, you are saying yes to renewed clarity in the living areas. White adds light and helps you think about your home as a true paradise where you can really enjoy yourself.

After all that hard work redecorating, travelers and guests are bound to work up an appetite! Enjoy this summer favorite, Summer Fruit Salad, from the Inn at Lower Farm.

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh seedless grapes
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries cut into quarters
1 cup fresh peaches cut into bite size pieces
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup low fat sour cream

Instructions:
Combine all the fruit and mix well. Mix the brown sugar into the sour cream. Coat the fruit with the sour cream. Let sit for at least a half an hour. Serve.
An exciting bit of Lanier news is the production and upcoming publication of our next Regional guidebook, Bed & Breakfast Getaways on the West Coast, to be released later this month! This guidebook focuses on the unique and exemplary locales of the entire west coast of North America, from San Diego to Anchorage, and everywhere in between. Breathe taking views, excellent amenities and a plethora of activities awaits the west coast adventurer, and we are quite excited to see our guidebook hit shelves and inspire some epic journeys!

Find below a short list of a few of the Guest’s Greatest Pick Award Winners for 2011. I know all of these exemplary B&Bs would be an excellent place to lay your head after a day of summer excitement!

Best wishes and happy travels!

Pamela

Yelton Manor B&B & the Manor Guest House – Inn of the Year

Heartstone Inn & Cottages – Best Overall Breakfast

The Mermaid & The Alligator – Best Cup of Joe

Homestays at Homestead – Best Wildlife

A Pearson’s Pond Luxury Inn & Adventure Spa – Best for Outdoor Setting

Devonfield Country Inn B&B – Best for Relaxing/Unwinding

Through the Grapevine B&B – Best for Nearby Outlet Malls

Pine Lakes Lodge B&B – Best for Hunting

The First Colony Inn – Best for Summer Sports

Bounding Into Springtime!

April showers bring May flowers, and we are definitely looking forward to those blossoms of springtime! This time of year always comes with a rejuvenating and renewing sense, and beginning the spring cleaning is a long awaited and much enjoyed process. Whether it’s a simple dusting of the shelves or a full blown restoration this spring, the benefits of a good spring cleaning will surely prepare all for the adventurous summer sure to follow!

May is the perfect opportunity for new activities and fresh ideas for innkeepers to consider and implement as summer looms large. Getting into a groove for the active summer vacationers is important, both for travelers to fully appreciate their stay and to make running your property continue on as smoothly as possible. One idea that has been floating around recently is adding in a cooking class or two. This is a great way to fill up slower weekdays or bring in locals who may be dying for a peek inside your B&B. Tony Leone, Innhkeeper at the Pasfield House has recently written on just this topic. His article, titled Dishing Up Cooking Classes at B&B Inns, gives great advice on the logistics of running a cooking series class, such as size and available equipment. With outlining the basics, Tony’s article is a great place to begin when considering a cooking class.

One of my favorite ways to usher in the newness of Spring is with a little redecorating! The stimulating richness of the sprouting fauna manages to serve as inspiration year after year, and there are several ways to make your guests, as well as yourself, become fully swept up in spring fever. Small touches, like switching out your muted wintery throw pillows for more vibrant greens, yellows, and blues can make the atmosphere of a whole room change. I like to start featuring potted plants and fresh flowers beginning in Spring, and even give a new look to the front yard with a little landscaping. If a whole new look is a must, a few of my favorite spring green paint colors this year are Golden Cricket 210-5 by Pittsburgh Paints (which goes fantastic with dark hardwood floors), Sleepy Hollow D6-2 by Dutch Boy (a more neutral color perfect for a common area), and Marsh Green 6006-5C from Valspar (this looks lovely as a kitchen accent color, or for a desk or side table).

Along with a freshening of the décor, new and mouth watering recipes seem to start blooming around this time of year as well. Find some favorites below that have been submitted to our upcoming cookbook, Inn Love: Recipes for Romance and enjoy a spring brunch or sunny tea time!

The Innkeeper's Soufflé from the Buttonwood Inn

Ingredients:
2 eggs, separate, whites at room temperature
1 Heaping Tablespoon sour cream (plain yogurt or cottage cheese in a pinch!)
1 Tablespoon cold water
4 or 5 drops Tabasco Sauce
1 Teaspoon dried mixed herbs or 2 Tablespoons fresh mixed herbs, parsley, basil, rosemary, chives, oregano, ,or thyme.
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Beat egg yolks, add sour cream, water, Tabasco, herbs, salt and pepper and mix well. Beat whites till soft peaks form, fold gently into yolk
mixture. Then fold in cheese. Pour into two 6 oz. custard cups. Bake 12-14 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Yield: 2
Yield Type (servings, dozens, ): servings
Cooking Time: 15 minutes


Bananas Foster Crepes from the Crystal River Inn


Instructions:
1) Make a batch 12 large, pretty crepes. This can be done ahead of time. When ready to use, warm them.
2) Filling: Melt 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter. Stir in 1 cup brown sugar, packed. Add water enough to make a thin syrup. Allow to simmer briskly until partly reduced. Add 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and about 4 Tbsp Grand Mariner or Triple Sec. Allow to simmer 1-2 minutes, and then slice in 3 bananas. Simmer until they wilt, about 5 minutes.
3) Topping: Stir together 1 cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp whipping cream, and 1 packet artificial sweetener.
4) Assembly: Fill each crepe with 4-5 banana slices and wrap it closed, placing seam down on the serving plate. Place a second crepe alongside. Top the twosome with liberal pan syrup, a dollop of crème, toasted almonds, banana slice, and spring of mint. Serve with sausage, Mimosas, and gourmet coffee.

Please find below more of our esteemed 2011 Guests Greatest Picks Award Winners, who are surely ushering in Spring with the enthusiasm of champions!

Best,
Pamela

The Edge of Thyme – Best Afternoon Tea 2011





Stonehurst Inn – Best Robes 2011






Azalea Inn and Gardens - Best Gardens 2011





Carriage House B&B – Best Overall Location 2011





Queen Anne Guest House – Best B&B To Meet Other Guests 2011




Stanford Inn – Best Educational Classes 2011






Earlystown Manor – Best for Nearby Sports Arena 2011

April Celebrations and Recipes

Spring is arriving once again, and after a long few weeks of showers here on the West coast, the sunshine could not feel more welcome! The much needed rain seems to be coming to an end, and a case of Spring Fever looms, which has been perpetuated by up and coming designs that celebrate spring. Another reason to celebrate is the quickly approaching Easter holiday – a time traditionally spent with family and friends. I cannot wait for Easter this year, and as the bright colors, reverent attitude, and joyous celebration approaches, I find myself anticipating the traditional treats, Easter Egg hunts, and family togetherness this holiday allows as we usher in the fresh and rejuvenating spring time!

I’ve been testing the waters for design trends - here’s what I’m seeing. A return to the energy of bright colors, but in offbeat shades and nothing too primary. Think milk chocolate and peach, turquoise and coral, magenta and lime as accents and upholstery colors. Lush animal prints in velvet are roaring onto the scene and make fabulous upholstery for a side chair bottom or pillows for anywhere. Shades of white, beige, rose and cream singly and together always look elegant. Have you discovered some wonderful paint in those shades? If so we’d love to hear about them and what special qualities they bring to a room. I’m also seeing some refreshing use of the grassy shades of summer, such as Pebblestone from Pratt & Lambert, Sienna Laurel from Benjamin Moore and Beach Grass by Martha Stewart Living. These go great in a dining room or a guest room with their calming tones. They look especially well with a white ceiling or muted neutral accents.

Spring, especially around Easter, is also a time when I enjoy breaking out some favorite recipes, and enjoying a zesty treat or flavorful entree. Find a new twist on an old classic recipe with a Suzani Spring Quiche. Suzani or Spring flowers are all the rage on everything from carpets to pottery and textiles. This is my all natural culinary take on it and modification of a Quiche lorrine. Here I have to admit that I often use a purchased fresh or frozen pie crust, and actually usually have several in my freezer. Very simply it’s because I have a life, and spending extra time in the kitchen for minimum reward (that’s because I think most commercial crust are almost as good as my homemade and sometimes even better) meanwhile the filling for a quiche come together very quickly as do most other pies.

In order:
Preheat oven to 350®
Make or begin defrosting pie crust for single pie.
Briefly parboil 6 to 8 broccoli spears (easy does it, 3-4 minutes is enough)
Meanwhile, measure a cup and a half milk, (I use low fat)
½ cup cubed ham
1 cup grated cheese, I prefer Swiss in this dish, but most other s would work
3 eggs
1 teaspoon Worchester sauce
6 Asparagus spears
Sprinkle of paprika

Place crust in pan and sprinkle bottom with ½ cup ham followed by ½ cup cheese. Beat milk, eggs, sauce together, pour over rest. Take wilted asparagus spears in patter. Point 6 stems towards the center, as seen in picture. Leave a space in the very center of the pie which you will sprinkle with paprika to form the center of the flower. Bake for 50 to 65 minutes on 350® being careful not to let the pie crust edges burn. Cover with aluminum foil if need be towards the end of baking. Quiche is done when crack appear about 1 inch in and the center starts to look golden brown, but still jiggly. Remove and cool, and serve at room temperature.

Another oh-so-Springy and simple and festive cake is the one I made the other day, literally in 10 minutes, using a yellow Jiffy cake mix, with a little added vanilla. I then baked it in a glass pie plate, covered the top with an even layer of Blueberries, baked for 20 minutes and cut it into wedges. I served it warm with a dollop of whipped cream and a dollop of lemon curd. This was a big hit, and looked lovely after I sprinkled the top with a little powdered sugar.

I have also recently been enjoying multiple trips to go and speak at Bed and Breakfast conferences around the US. Many thanks and well wishes to all those who made my recent trips to Kentucky, Illinois, and Maries time at the Mid-Atlantic Conference very special and quite enjoyable!



Finally, please see a few more of our Guests Greatest Picks for 2011 below. What a fantastic crop we have this year, I’m always losing myself in their great listings when picking them out to feature!

Best Wishes,
Pamela

Los Poblanos Inn – 2011 Most Likely to Visit Again Winner




Adair Country Inn and Restaurant – 2011 Best Specials Offered Winner




River House B&B Getaway Retreat –2011 Most Family Friendly Winner



Brampton B&B – 2011 Best Décor Winner





North End Crossing Barn and Bed – 2011Best for Farm Activities Winner